Something Wicked This Way Comes
by Kalianna Loralei
Summary: It seems like a normal Halloween for the Halliwell family, at least it should have been. When Jenna turns up, they realise that things always do go bump in the night. Can they protect their family and keep everyone alive? Please note it is a one shot so it is only going to have one chapter.


**AN: Happy Halloween everyone :) So I was so in the kitchen with my flatmate, looking at the pumpkins we had bought for today and inspiration struck and I ended up with this. Hope you enjoy it :) For those reading/ have read other stories, I am working on them and sequels, I just have less time than I used to and basically disregarded my work to write this. Hope you enjoy it :)  
Kallie xx  
**

**P.S. Please review and let me know what you think?**

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Something Wicked

"Leo, are the boys ready yet?" called Piper up the stairs. Melinda was stood at her feet dressed in a black witches dress, complete with a small hand-made broom. Chris and Wyatt bounded down the stairs, Wyatt dressed as a skeleton, the mask resting on top of his blond head of curls. Chris, still looking up to his big brother, was dressed in a similar costume.  
"Mom, Chris copied me again! Make him change. He did this last year and the year before."  
"Nuh uh, no fair. Mom I like this costume. I chose it, not Wyatt. He copied me."  
Piper looked at her youngest son. "Chris, are you telling the truth?"  
"No, he's a liar," called Mellie sneakily, peering around Piper at her brothers.  
Chris stuck his tongue out at his little sister. He looked up at Piper and shifted nervously. "Umm…"  
"Chris, go and get changed. You can't just keep copying Wyatt. Why don't you be a ghost."  
"But Mom, a ghost is boring," whined Chris. "It's just a sheet and I was a ghost last year."  
"Cause you copied me," retorted Wyatt.  
Chris glowered at him. Piper held up her hands. "Everyone freeze or I freeze the room and no-one goes trick-or-treating."  
"Mom!" they all cried in unison.  
"Okay Chris, you don't want to go as a ghost. What about Peter Pan? You still have the costume I made for your school play last year. Wear that."  
Chris beamed. "You're the best Mom." He hugged her and ran upstairs.

5 minutes later, Leo came down the stairs with Chris now dressed as Peter Pan. "Everyone ready love?" He smiled at her, admiring her costume.  
"We're just waiting for Paige, Henry and the kids. Phoebe, Coop, Peony, Pansy and Poppy are in the kitchen."  
"Not anymore," called Phoebe coming into the hallway carrying baby Poppy who was dressed as a flower. Peony and Pansy were both dressed as princesses, Peony with conical hat and Pansy wearing a flower garland on top of her soft brown curls. "Don't you three look adorable. A witch, a skeleton and Peter Pan. Very nice." She smiled at her niece and nephews.  
"Mommy, can we go now please?" asked Pansy, tugging at Phoebe's dress.  
"Pan, just wait sweetheart. We're waiting for Auntie Paige."  
Pansy scowled and went and kicked the banister. "But I want to go tick-or-treating now!" she whined.  
"Pansy, don't kick Auntie Piper's house or she might blow you up," said Phoebe, attending to a now crying Poppy. Phoebe jiggled her up and down making shushing sounds.  
"Pansy, listen to your mother," called Coop, coming in from the kitchen with a large bowl of candy.  
The children's eyes lit up. Coop laughed. "This isn't for you, this is for the trick-or-treaters who come here. Whilst you guys are off having fun pillaging the neighbourhood's candy, we men are holding down the fort and handing out candy to all the kids who come round here."  
Their faces fell and Peony began tugging at the curls that had escaped from under the headdress. Coop placed the bowl on the table in the hallway and scooped up Peony who laughed.  
The doorbell rang and Coop opened it. Paige and Henry came in with Willow, Hayley and Henry Junior.  
"Are we ready to go?" asked Paige, dressed up as a roman. Willow and Hayley were dressed as nymphs. "Everyone ready to celebrate all hallows eve?"  
"Yes!" chorused all the kids excitedly. All of them over one were carrying straw baskets to put their candy in, whilst Henry Junior and Poppy clutched at the handles of small pumpkin baskets.  
"We will see you men later then," smiled Paige as Piper and Phoebe ushered the children out of the manor.

A couple of streets over and a fairly full bags of candy, they caught up with Prue, Andy and the boys who all looked very excited.  
"Happy Halloween," said Prue, hugging her sisters. "Did you put the apples up around the garden?"  
Piper smiled. "We did that this morning. Should prevent demons attacking us tonight during the… how did Jenna describe it Pheebs?"  
"'Sanctified celebration which results in an open gateway between planes and worlds'," she replied smiling and taking a piece of candy that was still in its wrapper from Poppy's mouth.  
"Where is Jenna anyway?" asked Piper, looking around for her youngest daughter. "I thought she was going to be with you and the boys."  
"She was," answered Prue. "Patrick, don't do that to Hayley. That's not nice." She pulled Patrick away from Hayley. "She had to go and do something, stop something she said."  
"Oh," said Piper sadly.  
Prue touched her shoulder. "I'm sure if she doesn't catch up with us, she'll meet us back at the manor."  
Piper smiled. "Of course. Right, shall we go to the next house?"  
The children ran off excitedly and began ringing doorbells. The adults smiled, watching the children have fun. Out of the corner of her eye, Paige noticed a couple of figures covered in green gloop walking towards them. "Hey Piper, isn't that Jenna and her friends?"  
Piper looked and smiled. "It is." Her smiled faded to shock. "But what happened to them?"

Jenna and her friends walked over to them looking very worn out. Jenna smiled weakly up at her mum. "Hey mum. Sorry about the state we're in. Just got back from another world where a monster blew up in our faces."  
"Yeah, save a cute guy and his brothers, get covered in monster gloop," replied Rosie, shaking off trails of goo from her arms.  
"At least you're safe now Jenna," replied Reuben.  
"Safe?" Piper asks confused.  
"Jenna ended up interfering in another world again –"  
"I didn't interfere, I helped out where no-one could. It wasn't fair to leave Adam in the pit."  
"But you almost fried yourself in the process. Your body had to heal itself for 2 months before you could remember who you really are."  
"And if I hadn't pulled Adam out of the pit, he would still be stuck in there as a plaything for Lucifer and Michael. He didn't deserve that."  
Reuben scowled, cleaned himself magically and went and joined the kids.  
Jenna rolled her eyes. "He's just annoyed because Adam liked me and if I wasn't with Reuben he would have asked me out."  
Piper looked at her daughter, completely confused. "Alright, explain from the beginning. Actually, never mind, just explain why you are covered in bright green goo."  
"Well, there was the creature called a basilisk which is different to the basilisks in other worlds although it did like to live in water. Whilst the basilisk had Adam, his brothers and their friend Charlie cocooned in slime balls, I grabbed the silver knife that Dean had dropped and stabbed it, killing it. However when it died it ended up exploding in green goo, splattering me, Rosie, Reuben and Ferrin who had just turned up."  
Piper nodded. "Did you want to go back to the manor and get cleaned off?"

Jenna paused and looked around, looking confused. "Mom, I think we need to get back everyone back to the manor, and quickly. Something is coming, for us. We need to protect the house."  
Phoebe and Paige, held their babies close to them. Piper looked at Prue and Prue went over to the kids, collecting them and bringing them back.  
Jenna shook, and the goo disappeared. "Hey guys, why don't we go back to the manor and see how much candy you've got? Looks like you've got a lot and once we're done, we can tell you the story of all hallows eve."  
The children smiled and Pip and Peter grabbed Jenna's hands, causing the others to glare at them. They all loved Jenna and couldn't wait to talk to her at the manor. They walked back to the manor, the adults looking around warily whilst Jenna tried to act calm and not show the children that something was wrong.  
Piper unlocked the front door and the children ran in excitedly. Leo walked into the hallway and looked at them confused. "You're back early. Did they get fed up of candy?"  
Piper gave him the 'not-now' look and led him into the kitchen. Jenna looked up from the floor of the sitting room where all the children were sat, each sorting out their piles of sweets and chocolate.  
"I'm going to get a drink. I'll be back in a minute." She got to her feet and went into the kitchen, the children all too fixated on their piles to notice.

Jenna walked into the kitchen and found herself being stared at by the adults. Leo smiled and hugged his daughter, pleased to see her again. He let go and looked at her. "Jenna, it's nice to see you home but what is going on?"  
Jenna looked at Coop and Andy. "You didn't sense that?"  
Paige frowned. "Sense what? What's going on Jenna?"  
"Something big is coming, here for us. I think it's a swarm of ghosts but I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's bad and wants us. I don't even think it's from here but I'm not sure."  
"How do we stop… it? How can we protect ourselves?" asked Phoebe, shifting Poppy to her other hip and taking the flower headdress of her.  
"You already have apples in the garden?" asked Jenna, looking at her mum and dad.  
"Yes," replied Piper. "We did it as soon as the sun came up this morning."  
Jenna nodded. "Good, that will help protect us, however more needs to be done."  
"What do you need?" asked Leo, ready to help his daughter protect their family.  
"Alder wood, acorns, angelica, salt…"  
"Did you just say salt?" questioned Andy, disbelief on his face.  
"Yes, salt as in table salt, black pepper, frankincense, lavender, juniper –"  
"That's a lot," commented Prue. "Do we really need all of this?"  
"We can't be too careful," replied Jenna, turning round to face her. "I have no idea what is coming but I know it is big and it is bad. Have we got those things?"  
Piper had a look in the cupboards. "Yes, but what do we do with it all?"

Jenna handed salt shakers to Andy and Prue, black pepper pots to Phoebe and Coop. "Line every door, window and fireplace with salt and pepper corns except the front door and back door. They need to be done last. This should stop anything from entering that way, however it's not guaranteed." She pulled out a large pestle and mortar from the cupboard and put in lavender, angelica and pepper. She began grinding them together. "Henry, dad, start stripping the bark off of Juniper and Alder branches. Don't mix the piles up yet. Mum, boil the kettle and put water in a caldron. We need to soak the wood with lavender and set it out around the apples, the same with the mix I'm making now. The boiled water needs to go in a dish and we need enough thread to go around both the front and back gardens. Aunt Paige, I need to you to place frankincense behind the rows of salt and pepper and light them and yes I mean light them. The burning frankincense should create an atmospherically barrier, stopping anything from coming in that way. Does everyone understand?" She looked around at her family.  
"Not in the slightest," said Paige, "but we trust you, you're family. When this is done, I know I want an explanation and I assume everyone else does too."  
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jenna sighed. "Alright, that's fine, just let's protect the house first."  
Phoebe and Prue headed upstairs starting from the top whilst Coop and Andy began lining the windows in the kitchen. Jenna turned her attention to the grinding. Once done, she made holes in the acorns and set about cutting metres of thread for the garden. When the kettle was done, and the acorns were spaced out evenly on the thread, she lined a dish with salt and stirred it around in the boiling water. When most of it was done, she placed the two lines of thread with acorns in, soaking them in the salty solution.

Prue, Phoebe, Coop and Andy came back into the kitchen, the containers emptier than they had been. "Alright everything is done but the front and back doors, so what now?"  
Jenna looked at the dish. "These need to go outside, one in the back garden, the other in the front. They will fit exactly so don't mess up the placing. Mum, how's the bark mix looking?"  
Piper looked up from the cauldron. "The bark has softened but hasn't dissolved. Is that what you want?"  
"Yes, yes, that's good. Drain it and then you need to crush lavender and mix it in. Then it needs to be scattered around the edge of the house by the apples, strengthening the barrier. The one I've done needs to be spread around the house itself, every edge covered by this as extra protection. Add the frankincense, salt and pepper at the windows and doorways and we should be more than safe."  
Coop and Andy picked up a set of thread and acorns each and took them out to hang up in the garden. Piper drained the caldron in the sink, placed the drained bark into a bowl and mixed crushed lavender in amongst the bark. When that was done, she and Jenna went outside and began spreading them out where Jenna had said they needed to go. When that was done, they all headed inside and tidied up the kitchen so that the kids didn't know anything had happened. Before anyone had a chance to ask what was going on, Jenna headed into the lounge where all the kids were.

They looked up when Jenna entered and crowded round her. Even Poppy and Henry Junior looked up from the playpen at her. Jenna sat on the floor and Patrick went and sat on her lap. The kids all crowded round her, eager to hear stories.  
"Tell us a story Jen," said Chris, bouncing up and down on the carpet.  
Jenna looked up as all the adults came into the room. "How about I tell you a story set on all hallows eve."  
"Yeah," the older ones cried, knowing that Halloween used to be called all hallows eve.  
"Around 400 years ago, back when witchcraft was a wide practice in England and America, there was an evil witch called Lilith. Lilith practiced very dark magic using the blood and bones of her enemies and innocent people she had captured. She was a necromancer, someone who can control spirits and she could even summon the souls of slain demons to tend to her bidding. She moved from town to town, away from persecutors and so that she could spread her evil, until she ended up here in the beginnings of San Francisco Bay. Our ancestor Hannah Saunders found her and killed her on all hallows eve, ridding the world of her evil. Hannah burnt her body upon a pyre of Juniper wood, infused with lavender, and buried her in an unmarked grave lined with salt. However, before Lilith was killed, she laid a curse upon Hannah, where 400 years to the day, she would send a plague of angry, tortured souls to ravish upon her descendants, causing them torment until those over 16 killed themselves. When they were all dead, she would come, find the children and eat them." She placed her hands on Patrick's shoulders making him jump. She smiled and they all laughed.  
"Where did you hear that story Jenna?" asked Pansy looking up at her younger, but currently older cousin.  
"Well, when I was your age, Wyatt used to scare me with that story every Halloween. He had been looking through the family tree and thought it would be funny to create a scary story and then to tell me every year, that this year was the 400th year. It made him laugh every year until one year I got my own back and scared the pants off him when he was asleep."  
They all laughed, even Wyatt who blushed a little. "Sorry Jen. I didn't mean to."  
"It's alright Wy. You haven't even done it yet. It's alright big brother." She reached over and ruffled his hair. "Right guys, how about a massive sleepover in the basement?" She looked over at Piper. "Is that all right?"  
Piper smiled. "Of course it is. I'll go and get a load of blankets and pillows for you all."  
Jenna beamed gratefully. "Alright guys, go and get into your pjs and I'll meet you downstairs in the basement where everything will be set up."

The kids rushed upstairs to get changed, leaving Jenna with the adults. Jenna stood up and shifted from foot to foot nervously, unsure what to say.  
"Is that's what's coming here Jenna?" asked Prue as Piper left to room to find enough blankets for everyone.  
"Yes," replied Jenna unsure how they would react. "I've researched it a lot and it all leads to this night when evil and the dead can walk the earth."  
"How did we stop it before? I mean you get born and you can't if we get killed."  
Jenna sighed and waved her hands around. "Each year she's been getting stronger and I'd heard rumours that she had gathered enough forces to be able to wipe us out. It shouldn't have happened yet, but she's teamed up with Luten, a great source of evil magic from another world, with each using the magic of the other to wipe out their enemies."  
Phoebe lifted Poppy out of the play pen and laid her down on the sofa, changing her into a baby grow. "So the 400 year thing you told the kids isn't real?"  
Jenna shook her head. "No, I just said that to make it seem like a story. I didn't want to freak them out with the truth."  
Paige looked at Jenna. "Let me get this straight, you told the kids a story that is in fact mostly true, so that they have the knowledge for the future, but won't get scared by the reality of it?"  
Jenna nodded. "Yes."  
Leo looked at his daughter. "What I don't understand is the sudden change in protection. Why now? Why all of this?"

Jenna sat down on the sofa next to Phoebe and Poppy, and began tickling Poppy gently. "Every year the apples and sage leaves have been enough to stop anything from breaking the protection barriers, however this year falls not only under a geological power fluctuation, but a Wiccan one as well where dark magic is at its strongest. Add that to Luten's power which by the way is absolutely immense, I mean, when he was destroyed in his home world Cordælia, he was able to escape just before his life essence was completely destroyed, then we have a biiiig problem. For the past century he has been feeding on the negative energy of this world until he had enough power when combined with that of Lilith's to destroy their enemies. Now the two of them are able to destroy what they want and the normal protection isn't enough."  
"So we're dealing with two enemies here, not just one?" clarified Andy from Jenna's big confusing speech.  
She nodded. Paige looked at her, confused. "So how does what we've done protect us?"  
"Well, everything we've used can be used for protection. Salt is particularly effective against ghosts, and other such monsters in the world I have come from, also iron which is now embedded underneath the foundations of the house, and the tiles have been washed in a mixture of salt, iron and water for added protection." They looked at her confused. "I went back in time and added it to the plans back when the manor was rebuilt in 1906 after the earthquake."  
"I don't understand the bark and the lavender though. How can they be protection herbs?"  
"Well, apparently, before Luten was destroyed, but after he had risen from his bindings, a potion of alder wood, juniper and lavender was thrown at him, causing him to steam and writhe in pain, buying them more time so that they could destroy him once and for all."  
"And the acorns?"  
"Well, Lilith refused to touch acorns and they are a symbol of rebirth and growth. A ring of acorns is supposed to protect from her powers, which is why there had been an oak tree in the garden until 1956 when it was cut down to allow more light to enter."  
"So our ancestors knew she was coming?"  
Jenna shook her head. "No, it was all rumours and just thought to be myth. The protections that had been in place were just thought to protect from any evil on all hallows eve, not against anyone or anything in particular."  
"Hang on." Paige orbed the Book of Shadows downstairs. "This should be written down in the Book, and Jenna I think you should write it."  
Jenna looked at her, surprised. "Me? But I'm new to the craft. I've just got my powers and I'm not even around technically yet. I haven't been born and won't be for another couple of years."  
Leo's ears pricked up and he looked at her eagerly, waiting to see if she said when she was going to be born exactly. Jenna looked at him. "Sorry dad, you're not allowed to know exactly, otherwise things could be changed. I will come when I come."  
Leo nodded, a little sadly, but he still knew one day he would have a second daughter and she would be the girl he saw in front of him.

"So what do we do now?" asked Henry, looking around at his wife and son. "I mean, there's a lot of us and how am I supposed to protect my family is she comes every year? We don't live in the manor so why doesn't she come after us at home?"  
"She does," mumbled Jenna. She looked at Paige. "You've been warding the house, haven't you?"  
Paige nodded. "Like Piper, I put halved apples and sage leaves around the house in a circle each year and I burn scented candles in each room."  
"I thought that was just a celebration of your heritage," said Henry, looking at his wife confused.  
"It is, but it's also there to ward against any evil that might attack us."  
"So you didn't know about Lilith?"  
"No-one knew," interjected Jenna. "She is just a supposed legend, but in reality she's not, she's just been waiting until she can strike at full capacity. Now we are safe, we are protected and no-one should leave the house until sunrise. She thrives in darkness, so does Luten and they are bound to all hallows eve. Come all saints day, where good spirits walk the earth, and Christ has power again, then they will be gone."  
"Is there any way to defeat them so we don't have to do this every year?" asked Prue, thinking about her children and the rest of her family.  
"I'm not sure. We're still looking into it. I need to find out how exactly Luten was defeated back in Cordælia and how Hannah was able to defeat Lilith. Then we can get rid of her once and for all. For now, you're right and protection against them needs to be recorded in the Book of Shadows." She looked around at her family as her mum came back in the room. "Do you really want me to write it in the book?"  
Piper smiled at her youngest child. "Yes. You know the most about this, so you should do it."  
"Even though I have never written in the book before?"  
"Even then." Piper handed Jenna a pen. "Here, just find some blank pages and start writing. Write the story, then everything else you've told us about what we're up and against and protecting in case you can't come next year or subsequent years and we don't find a way to destroy them once and for all."

Jenna nodded. "Alright then." She walked into the sun room with the book, placed it on the table and began writing.  
Piper turned to her sisters. "I can get the boys room and Mellie's set up for you to sleep in and down here as well for you."  
"That would be lovely, thank you Piper," said Prue hugging her sister.  
Piper and Leo went upstairs to sort out the bedrooms for them to stay in. Paige went and grabbed candles and a box of matches from a cupboard. Setting them up on a tray on the coffee table, she lit them one by one. When she was finished, she turned to her family. "Happy Halloween everyone."  
They smiled back at her. "Happy Halloween Paige."  
The kids ran in shrieking excitedly. Henry picked up Willow and Hayley, balancing each on a hip. Coop scooped up Pansy and Peony and began taking them downstairs to the basement. Phoebe laughed and followed carrying baby Poppy who was now ready for bed. Wyatt, Melinda and Chris followed their Uncle Coop, pestering him and trying to make him drop the girls. Peter and Phillip looked at their mum and dad and began tugging them out towards the basement with Patrick following. Paige picked up baby Henry and went towards the basement with him, followed by Henry and the girls. Patrick stopped when he got to Jenna and stared up at her. "Jen are you coming?"  
Jenna looked up from writing. "I'll be down in a minute baby. Go save me a space?"  
He grinned. "Sure Jen," and he raced off after his family. Jenna smiled, watching him leave then turned her attention back to the book. When she was done, she closed the book with a happy sigh, glad her knowledge would be used to protect her family in the future.


End file.
